Environment Day: Climate change, toxic air remain issues of deep concern for India, say experts

As the world celebrated Environment Day on Saturday climate change and toxic smog remained issues of deep concern for India with environmental experts emphasising that clean air must not be considered a luxury but a basic human rightExperts said while air pollution was a leading cause of asthma stroke lung cancer and premature deaths climate change has a sizable impact on health too as it acts as a driver of disease migration affecting the lives of manyLets not make clean air a luxury Its a basic human right People are being forced to breathe in polluted air and are faced with a terrible health crisis We have witnessed how air pollution and climate crisis continues impacting human lives even in this Covid19 pandemic said Avinash Chanchal Senior Climate Campaigner Greenpeace IndiaWorld Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every yearAccording to a latest report on Indias state of environment the year 2020 was the eighth warmest year on record and 12 of the warmest years were recorded in the last 15 yearsBesides the rising temperatures India saw more than twotimes increase in the deaths attributable to ambient PM 25 over the past two decades with one out of every four deaths due to toxic air in 2019 aloneAs per the State of Indias Environment 2021 report poor air quality was the fourth leading risk factor for early death worldwide in 2019 surpassed only by high blood pressure tobacco use and poor dietOver the past two decades deaths attributable to ambient PM25 in India has increased by 25 times the report said adding that between 1990 and 2019 deaths due to household pollution has increased by over 40 per cent the report saidIndeed climate change has a sizable and serious impact on health It affects the most basic health requirements like clean air clean and safe water sufficient food and adequate shelter It acts as a driver of disease migration affecting the lives of many which makes it a critical public health problem as it makes many existing diseases and conditions worse said Akanksha Malviya an advocate working for health rights environmental justice and climate changeWhile climate change displaced as many as 50 lakh people in India in 2019 air pollution took 167 lakh lives the same year the report saidSpeaking about the impact of air pollution Chanchal said it was a serious health hazard and needs immediate attention and implementation of a comprehensive clean air action planWe need to tackle air pollution because its a serious public health hazard and a leading cause of asthma stroke lung cancer and premature deathsThe air pollution crisis became a key concern for the people across the country We are witnessing its impact in our everyday lives There are many cities across the country that are just as polluted as Delhi This indicates that air pollution is a regional issue and the solution to this crisis also needs immediate attention and implementation of a comprehensive clean air action plan at regional levels rather than only focusing on a few cities like Delhi he saidAs many as 667 lakh people died in the world due to air pollution in 2019 out of which 167 lakh people died in India alone making it the second highest after China where 185 million died due to air pollution according to the reportIt also said in 2019 toxic air caused 60 per cent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease deaths 43 per cent of lower respiratory infection deaths 35 per cent of ischemic stroke deaths and 32 per cent of lung cancer deathsJust five states iquest Uttar Pradesh 35 lakh Maharashtra 139 lakh Bihar 126 lakh West Bengal 123 lakh and Rajasthan 113 lakh iquest account for half of the deaths due to air pollution in 2019Noting that these five states have multiple sources of pollution Kamal Narayan Omer CEO Integrated Health and Wellbeing IHW Council said while Maharashtra Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh are heavily industrialised with poor adherence to regulatory norms Bihar West Bengal and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh are agrarian where use of diesel is high due to subsidiesHe said as a country that is home to 22 of the worlds 30 most polluted cities India has a cause to worry about increasing lung cancer incidence in the countryThe pandemic has given us an opportunity where the advantages gained in decades can be gained in the next few years We must leverage it in every possible way It is time people take the chargeSimple steps such as clearing their own garbage and keeping surroundings clean segregating garbage at home reducing use of plastic consuming responsibly and recycling and reusing old materials are some of the ways small changes can happen that will lead to a big impact he saidDr Swarupa Mitra Senior Consultant and Chief of Gynecological and Genitourinary Radiation Oncology at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre RGCIRC said a continuous increase in the number of pollutants in air water and soil are reasons for the rise in cancer cases in the countryCancer is caused by mutated genes These pollutants could potentially cause cancer by either causing defects in the DNA repair or altering the immune response or by sparking inflammation and new blood vessel formationBenzene Asbestos Vinyl Chloride Cadmium Nitrates Coal tar tobacco smoke and industrial smoke are some of the known pollutants that are carcinogenic and can cause cancer Mitra said